Krakkabooom! : A Walter Simonson Thor appreciation 2020

[AnthonyO'Brien]

What were your fave moments of Walt's run?

For me it was the all-splash page battle with Fing Fang Foom. It inspired an early issue of Savage Dragon.

and YOU?

[charliehustle415]

I just started reading it. I finished the Beta Ray Bill arc and it was pretty good.

But, old books sure loved inner monologues each issue has so many text boxes. I am not used to seeing a Thor that is so talkative I always known him as a stoic warrior (from JMS' run)

Nevertheless, the art is gorgeous and I cannot wait to continue the run.

PS: I do love the slow build to Surtur especially the opening pages - pretty epic.

[K7P5V]

What were your fave moments of Walt's run?

Definitely the Thor/Destroyer Fusion:

[Mike_Murdock]

For some reason I was just thinking of the issue where Thor fought the World Serpent today. The idea of an entire issue of splash pages (where, essentially, each page is a panel) doesn't feel like something that would work, but it works absolutely beautifully.

[Revolutionary_Jack]

It's the battle with Jormungandr for me.

The death of Skurge who stood alone at Gjallerbru.

Beta Ray Bill lifting Mjolnir.

Throgg in Central Park.

That quiet issue where Thor is tended to by his grandfather in that cave.

[DigiCom]

What were your fave moments of Walt's run?

For me it was the all-splash page battle with Fing Fang Foom. It inspired an early issue of Savage Dragon.

and YOU?

So many choices...

But for me, it has to be the master-class in characterization that is this panel:



Three characters summed up perfectly with two words apiece.

[AnthonyO'Brien]

Frog Thor

Mutant massacre cross over

[Hypestyle]

has there been an omnibus released yet? if not, have all his arcs been collected?

[DigiCom]

has there been an omnibus released yet? if not, have all his arcs been collected?

Yes. I own one.

https://www.amazon.com/Thor-Walt-Sim...dp/1302908871/

I believe it's also been collected in other formats.

[CaptCleghorn]

I really can't pick one moment, but Simonson's was was legendary for a few reasons:

He expanded the Thor status quo with other characters lifting Mjolnir and getting rid of Don Blake
He expanded the Norse myth aspect of the book with more detailed stuff than Lee and Kirby had.
He also managed to keep the superheroics part of the book as well while keeping it a Thor story.

[Electricmastro]

[Shadowcat]

He really elevated Sal Buscema with this run. Also—Walt’s Karnilla is second to none.

[Paradox_Nihil]

What were your fave moments of Walt's run?

For me it was the all-splash page battle with Fing Fang Foom. It inspired an early issue of Savage Dragon.

And the Death of Superman in the early 90s.

I would like to say two things here. Firstly, it should be noted that Simonson's art - or more precisely, his layouts - is/are more restrained in The Mighty Thor than in most of his work before and after. That's a deliberate decision on his part. Just look at his work in Mahnunter or Alien or Star Slammers (published as a graphic novel just before he started working on Thor) and it will become obvious. Thor is of the past, of the tradition, so the layouts were also traditional. But there were some wonderful exceptions, like the staring contest with the dragon.

Secondly, although there has been no other corporate project during which Simonson had the same amount of freedom to do what he wanted, he didn't finish Thor in the way he had originally planned. The proof? There was an ad depicting the war between the gods and the frost giants that never happened in the comic, as well as an interview in the Marvel Age (I've forgotten the issue number) where he openly expressed his intentions. I assume he became too tired with all that was going on in the Marvel offices at the time, so he just finished the story in the most painless way possible.

As CaptCleghorn has said, "I can't pick one (favorite) moment"! Nevertheless, I will point to the middle part of his run, from the love triangle of Thor-Lorelei-Loki (the most underappreciated part, but a masterful comedy in its own right) to the journey into Hel, as probably my favorite. Not just 'Skurge's last stand', but everything, from the summoning of Angerboda to the fight between Thor and Hela, Naglfar, and beyond. That story took the concept of death seriously, which is something not many superhero comics do. Oh, and I'd add an earlier issue when Balder leaves pacifism behind! If anything, Simonson's run was never only about Thor, but about the whole world around him.

[Paradox_Nihil]

Also—Walt’s Karnilla is second to none.

That's true.

[stingray]

The death of Skurge is my favorite moment, but I also like how he gave other Asgardians, especially characters like the Warriors Three, way more attention than they had ever received before. Volstagg was a favorite of mine in that run.